Major League Lacrosse (MLL) announced yesterday that
its six franchises will be based in Baltimore,
Philadelphia, Fairfield County, CT, Washington, DC, Long
Island and Rochester, NY, according to USA TODAY's Eddie
Timanus. The MLL is set to start next summer, and league
Founder Jake Steinfeld said, "We're still working out the
venues. We're looking for intimate stadiums that seat
between 5,000 and 12,000" (USA TODAY, 11/3).

In a letter sent to Sharks RW Owen Nolan and forwarded
to every NHL GM, NHL Exec VP & CLO Bill Daly said the league
"would grieve a clause" in Nolan's "controversial" five-
year, $30M contract that gives him the "right to guarantee
the sixth and club option year" if there is a work stoppage
during the '04-05 NHL season, according to Eric Duhatschek
of the Toronto GLOBE & MAIL. The clause "in question" does
not mean Nolan would be paid during a work stoppage, but the
club option on the final year becomes "a player option as
well." Because the NHL dismissed arbitrator Lawrence Holden
in September, Daly did not "establish a time frame" for the
grievance process (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 11/3). CBS
SportsLine's Keith Gave wrote that Nolan's contract "stands
as negotiated" but the NHL will "challenge any future deals"
with a similar clause (CBS SportsLine, 11/2). In San Jose,
Victor Chi writes, "It is unclear exactly what the NHL's
grievance will seek in terms of action. Will it
specifically look to overturn the clause in Nolan's
contract? That could be tricky because the NHL has approved
the contract, which would, in essence, leave the league to
argue against itself. ... Will the league simply look to
establish a concrete precedence to prevent any other player
from receiving the Nolan clause?" (MERCURY NEWS, 11/3). In
Toronto, Alan Adams writes the NHL "does not want other
players to request the same language in their contracts
because it would take the sting out of a lockout" (NATIONAL
POST, 11/3). Sharks President Greg Jamison received a call
from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Daly on Wednesday
asking Jamison to "clarify the clause," which he believes he
did "to the league's satisfaction." Sharks GM Dean Lombardi
said that the NHL wanted to "make sure" that Nolan would not
be paid during a work stoppage (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 11/2).
BRYDEN SAYS NOT IN OUR HOUSE: Senators Chair Rod Bryden
said that there will not be a lockout protection clause in
any contract signed with his team. Bryden: "Forget whatever
(the league) says. There won't be any (lockout) clauses in
any one of our contracts" (OTTAWA SUN, 11/3).

Toyota Grand Prix Exec Dir Chris Pook could be named
CART's next CEO shortly, replacing Bobby Rahal, according to
ESPN2's Robin Miller. Miller, on Pook: "I think he's the
man. I talked to Bobby Rahal yesterday, I talked to Pook
this morning, they're very non-committal, but I know this,
the owners that were at [a recent] presentation said it was
pretty dazzling, which you would expect. This guy knows the
ins and outs of this business. ... He's got enough
connections and enough clout and enough class and enough
sass to run this thing. Now, [is CART] smart enough to hire
him?" Miller said CART's decision comes down to between
Pook and an exec "in the entertainment business." Miller:
"[Pook] would be good for open-wheel racing because I think
[he] would try and get [open-wheel racing] back together
with Tony George [and the IRL]" ("RPM 2Night," ESPN2, 11/2).

The final stop of the four-game WNBA On Tour was played
in front of 6,275 "enthusiastic" fans at New Orleans Arena
on Wednesday, according to Sheila Mulrooney Eldred of the
New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, who reported that the attendance
was the smallest of the tour, despite one team being
"dominated by Louisiana players" (TIMES-PICAYUNE, 11/2).
The WNBA On Tour averaged 6,731 fans per game with stops in
Des Moines, St. Louis and Little Rock (USA TODAY, 11/2).
HOOPS ON THE BAYOU: Meanwhile, WNBA President Val
Ackerman said that New Orleans has "more than its share" of
WNBA fans: "We tracked TV ratings, and in New Orleans this
year they pulled in an NBC local market rating of 2.1, which
beats the national average (of 1.4)." In addition, an NBA
exhibition game between the Hornets-Lakers on October 11
drew a "near sellout crowd" (N.O. TIMES-PICAYUNE, 11/1).

The WUSA has "moved slowly" since its formation in
February, but with Monday's foreign player draft and
yesterday's unveiling of the eight team names, logos and
stadiums, the league "appears on course for its mid-April
launch," according to Brian Straus of the WASHINGTON POST.
The Washington Freedom, which will play and house its
corporate offices at RFK Stadium, as well as the Boston
Breakers and Bay Area CyberRays, will play in MLS stadiums.
The Carolina Tempest, Philadelphia Charge, San Diego Spirit
and Atlanta Beat, all cities where there are no MLS teams,
will play on college campuses. The N.Y. Power will play at
Mitchell Athletic Complex on Long Island. While the WUSA is
"anticipating" 7,000 fans a game, Freedom Owner-Investor
John Hendricks said, "We investigated a lot of stadium
opportunities. There wasn't that ideal stadium for 8,000 to
12,000 that could be upgraded, and when we got Mia [Hamm] in
the allocation our focus changed a bit because she is such a
draw. I think long term we would be looking at developing a
more intimate soccer-specific facility." Hendricks added
that the team "already is working on formulating ticket
plans" that will include an offer of up to two free season
tickets to children six and under with the purchase of an
adult season ticket (WASHINGTON POST, 11/3). In N.Y., George
Vecsey reports that the WUSA "plans average salaries" of
$40,000 and a salary cap of $800,000 per team. Ticket
prices will be about $12-15 (N.Y. TIMES, 11/3)....Time
Warner Cable is an investor in the league, and company VP
Jerome Ramsey said while ticket prices have not been
finalized, "this is a family game and we want to make sure
they can have a Coke and a hot dog and enjoy themselves."
On Long Island, Laura Price-Brown reports that the "top
ticket price is estimated" at $12.50 (NEWSDAY, 11/3).
AROUND THE LEAGUE: While the Breakers "could wind up
sharing" Foxboro Stadium with the Revolution, team GM Joe
Cummings has "suggested utilizing a group of stadiums in the
Breakers' first year in an effort to showcase the team
throughout the region" (HARTFORD COURANT, 11/3). In Boston,
Gus Martins reports that where the Breakers will play has
"yet to be announced," but it "appears the team could play
at Tufts and occasionally -- in doubleheaders" with the
Revolution at Foxboro. The name Breakers was also the
nickname of Boston's USFL team of the early '80s (BOSTON
HERALD, 11/3)....Spirit Owner Cox Communications pledged
$2.5M to expand the Univ. of SD's Torero Stadium over the
next two years. By April, the stadium's capacity will be
increased from 3,000 to about 6,000. For the second season,
the "tentative plan" is to install 2,000 more seats (SAN
DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 11/3)....Terry Smith, who designed the
CyberRays' logo, a "head-on view of a purple and black ray
clutching" a soccer ball, said, "I wanted to come up with a
powerful mark. Even though the CyberRays will play in a
women's sports league, I didn't want something perceived as
feminine. I wanted it to appeal to men and women, boys and
girls" (CONTRA COSTA TIMES, 11/3)....In Raleigh, Robert
Alfonso writes that while the arrival of the Tempest is
"viewed as good news for soccer fans, it is bad news" for
the W-League champion Raleigh Wings, which are "expected to
either move or fold today as the semi-pro league and its
teams adjust" to the WUSA (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 11/3).